Preaching the Mission

August 7, 2022
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 12: 32-48

• Jesus tells his disciples that when the master returns from a wedding, he will ask them to recline at table and then wait on them. God calls us to serve him, but Jesus teaches us that God first comes to serve us. Jesus serves by preaching and teaching, healing and casting out demons, and befriending the outcast. Yet, his greatest act of service is offering his life on the cross on our behalf. We can follow the example of Jesus the servant through the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2: 

• Jesus assures his disciples that much will be required of those entrusted with much. Indeed, each person has been entrusted with the gift of life. We believers have been entrusted with a still greater gift: new life in Christ. This gift, however, is not meant for a disciple to keep to himself. The requirement of discipleship is mission. The good news of salvation in Christ is to be given away. We release the evangelizing power of prayer by using the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Prayer 2x2 with someone requesting prayer from us: 

August 14, 2022
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 12: 49-53

• Jesus comes to set fire on the earth by unleashing the Holy Spirit. Jesus awaits his passion, resurrection, and ascension because only then can the Father send the Spirit. The Gospel is not only a message but a power. By the proclamation of the dying and rising of Jesus, the power of the Spirit stirs up the fire of conversion and faith within the hearts of hearers. We can fan the flames of a Gospel wildfire by praying for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit in our time and telling the story of Jesus. We can deepen our knowledge of his life through the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2: 

• Jesus comes to divide in the sense that he compels a decision, which brings division among peoples, sometimes even families. When we come to know who he is and what he has done for us, we face a choice: we can either put our trust in him or reject him. We can leave everything behind to walk with him or decline and walk away. A decision for Christ is a decision for our destiny. Likewise, we choose to proclaim the Gospel and extend his kingdom, we bring unity in faith, hope, and love to every people and land. 

August 21, 2022
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 13: 22-39

• Jesus describes the way to salvation as a narrow gate. Jesus dies on the cross and rises to save us: to free us from the power of sin and death to free us for life with him forever. Salvation in Christ is appropriated through faith in him - not a one-time act of faith but ongoing faithfulness. We can grow in obedience to Jesus by listening to his words and putting them into practice each day. The Jubilee Missionary Practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2 can attune us to his words of life: 

• Jesus describes people asking for admittance to the house claiming prior interactions with the master, only to be denied entry. Jesus will return to judge. The good news is that the invitation to join him in his house forever is open to all. However, we who desire to be admitted cannot simply rely on a passing connection with him and his Church. On the contrary, Jesus calls us to an intimate, lifelong relationship with him in his Church. 

August 28, 2022
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 14: 1, 7-14

• Jesus teaches on humility, above all, by the example of his life. On the one hand, we creatures reach for a status not our own. We choose to be like God apart from God, only to fall. Jesus, on the other hand, is God, yet humbles himself to become one of us. Cast down by sin, we turn to Jesus so he can raise us up. When we acknowledge our sins with sincerity and humility, Jesus forgives us, lifting us to new life again. 
• Jesus instructs us to invite the lowest and the least to banquets because they cannot repay the invitation with another invitation. Sometimes, we do good for someone because we also will benefit in the end. Jesus, however, calls us to a selfless love by which we give only for the sake of someone else, regardless of the cost to us. Since Jesus has a special concern for the poor and the afflicted, he summons us to serve them - and he will repay us on their behalf. We can grow in self-sacrificing love for people in need through the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2: 

July 3, 2022
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

• Jesus always calls individuals to join him within a company of disciples; no disciple can be a free agent. Likewise, he sends his disciples two by two to announce the nearness of the kingdom of God. Mission is not a solo activity and, in fact, bears much fruit when the spiritual gifts of one complement those of another. In addition, as lambs among wolves in a culture indifferent or hostile to the Gospel, disciples find mutual support in going on mission together. 
• The ministry of Jesus brings the kingdom of God to life through his deeds and words. He instructs his disciples to prolong this pattern by curing the sick and announcing that the kingdom of God is at hand. Whenever missionary disciples speak of Jesus and do good in his name, they concretely manifest the kingdom. We can follow the example of the seventy-two through the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2: 

July 10, 2022
Fifteen Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 10:25-37

• The parables of Jesus usually confound the expectations of the hearers. A Jew in the time of Jesus would not expect a Samaritan - an enemy of the Jewish people - to be the hero of the story. Yet, as the compassion of the good Samaritan sees no exceptions, the mercy of God knows no boundaries. Likewise, our mission to evangelize and serve can set no limits. Our mission is to extend to all peoples, even those with whom we disagree or whom we consider an enemy. 
• The Samaritan in the parable is moved with compassion at the sight of the man left for dead on the road. His visceral reaction to suffering then moves him to action. He tends to the wounds of the man and brings him to a place of safety - this is mercy. Being merciful starts with seeing another person in his or her need and being moved with compassion and then responding with mercy. The Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2 is a way to show the mercy of Jesus to the suffering: 

July 17, 2022
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 10:28-42

• We can only carry on the work of Jesus when we first meditate on his words. In the ancient world, students of philosophers and rabbis would sit beside their master at his feetto learn from him. Mary assumes the proper posture of a disciple of Jesus, clinging to his every word. We, too, can choose the better part and listen to our Master by way of the Missionary Practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2: 

• The Gospel demands hospitality be shown to friends and strangers alike. Yet, Jesus calls us to put first things first. Service in the name of Jesus springs from relationship with him. Choosing the better part means deciding to listen to Jesus first. The hearing of his word then impels us to put his word into practice. The Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2 can help our service to others flow from our relationship with Jesus: 

July 24, 2022
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 11:1-13

• Time and again, Jesus steps away from the crowds to pray. The communion between Jesus and his Father inspires the disciples to ask him to teach them to pray. He instructs them to call on God as Father. Jesus offers us a participation in his Sonship; through him we gain access to his Father and ours. Of course, we Catholics can pray traditional formulas from memory, such as the Lord's Prayer. At the same time, we can pray to our heavenly Father by speaking on our lips whatever wells up from within our hearts. We can use the simple pattern of the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Prayer 2x2 to pray in a spontaneous way: 

• Jesus teaches that God is a good Father. While even good earthly fathers are imperfect, our heavenly Father is perfect. Our earthly fathers may disappoint us in some way, but God will never let us down. He does not withhold good gifts from his children. In fact, the gift the Father never tires of giving us is the Holy Spirit. By the gift of the Spirit, the Father fills us with joy overflowing for the life of the world.  

July 31, 2022
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 12:13-21

• The rich man in the parable is consumed by a concern only for himself. Self-absorption is the opposite of mission. The former turns inward, whereas the latter looks outward to the world. The Church exists not for those who already belong but for those who do not yet belong. Therefore, when the Church, either universal or local, is overly concerned with the affairs of her inner life, she is off mission. Likewise, an individual Christian principally preocupied with his or her own spiritual growth hinders the spiritual maturity that comes from engaging in mission. 
• When things matter more than people, one is materialistic. When things matter more than God, one is idolatrous. A disciple of Jesus is driven by love for God and people. Jesus warns us to shun greed, which causes us to invest in the things of this world. Instead, Jesus invites us to invest in the things of heaven. Charitable deeds are a great heavenly investment since they both benefit those we serve and profit our salvation in Christ. We can become rich in the things of God using the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2: 

June 5, 2022
Solemnity of Pentecost

John 20:19-23

• In the beginning, God breathes into the nostrils of man, animating him with biological life. The risen Jesus, in turn, breathes the Holy Spirit upon his disciples, restoring them to life by the power of his resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is the start of a new creation in which peace abounds. In Baptism and Confirmation, the Holy Spirit is poured into our hearts so we can live as new creatures in Christ. When we choose otherwise, Jesus offers us peace through the forgiveness of sins, above all in Penance.  
• A mission is not a mere assignment. At the heart of mission is the relationship between sender and sent. The Father sends the Son, and his mission flows from his relationship with his Father. Likewise, the mission of the disciples is grounded in their relationship with Jesus. A disciple embraces mission because of his or her love for Jesus. This love impels a disciple to go on mission because one who knows his love desires everyone to know this life-changing love. 

June 12, 2022
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

John 16:12-15

• God is relationship. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: a perfect communion of life and love. The Father gives everything to the Son, and the Son offers everything to the Father. Since God likewise desires men and women to be drawn into communion with him, God reveals himself to establish relationship with us. By the gift of the Son, the Father makes himself fully known, and by the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus inserts us within the exchange of life and love between the Father and himself. Our mission is to introduce people to relationship with the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. 
• Jesus not only teaches many truths; he is the truth itself. As the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit speaks the words of Jesus, guiding us to a fuller understanding of the truth of Christ. When we speak in the Spirit, we speak not on our own but for Jesus himself. With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the simple steps of the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2 can facilitate growth in our knowledge of and confidence is proclaiming the truth of Christ: 

June 19, 2022
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Luke 9:11b-17

• A disciple desires an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus sets the pattern by the feeding of the multitude. He teaches and heals the crowds. Then, he takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and give it to them to eat. In the celebration of the Eucharist, Jesus likewise teaches us by his Word proclaimed in the Scriptures. Then, in the person of the minister, he takes bread presented by the people and blesses it by the power of his words. He breaks it and gives it, no longer as mere bread but his very Body and Blood as food. Nourished by Word and sacrament, we are healed. 
• When the disciples ask Jesus to dismiss the hungry multitude, he instructs them to give the crowd something to eat. They offer everything they have, and Jesus provides in abundance. In a similar way, Jesus can magnify whatever we give him in service to the needy. We can feed the spiritually and materially hungry in a concrete way following the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2: 

June 26, 2022
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 9:51-62

• Jesus resolutely determines to journey to Jerusalem, where suffering and death await him. Along this path, Jesus invites us to walk with him as disciples. So close is a disciple to Jesus that he or she participates in the life of Jesus: his joys and sorrows, his mission and his destiny. On this journey, we also remain close to a company of disciples. As we walk together with Jesus, we can experience his nearness through prayer, especially as we face the cross. We can use the simple pattern of the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Prayer 2x2 to pray with fellow disciples on the way: 

• An encounter with Jesus Christ comes with a calling to be his disciple. Some turn away from his invitation to follow him, others say "yes" with reservations, and still others leave everything behind to walk with him. Jesus offers us the grace to recognize him as the top priority in life, putting loyalty to him above even family bonds. To leave everything for Jesus is to gain everything both in this world and the world to come. 

May 1, 2022
Third Sunday of Easter

John 21:1-19

• On their own, the disciples catch nothing as they go fishing during the night, but with the assistance of Jesus they catch fish in abundance at dawn. They bring the fish to him, losing none from the net. In a similar way, our mission is to fish for people: to bring people to Jesus, while keeping them in the embrace of his Church. Only with the aid of Jesus and by the power of his Spirit can we accomplish this mission. Prayer with and for someone else can draw a heart to Christ. We can use the simple pattern of the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Prayer 2x2: 

• The risen Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?" thereby canceling the three times Peter denied Jesus. The renewal of our relationship with Jesus and the renewal of the life of the Church starts with our answer to the same question. Despite our failings, if our love of Jesus remains, then is hope not lost. With love for Jesus, our relationship with him can be restored and his Church rebuilt. 

May 8, 2022
Fourth Sunday of Easter

John 10:27-30

• Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows his sheep and they recognize his voice. We can hear Jesus speak to us in the silence of prayer, through the voices of others, and in the Scriptures. When we encounter Christ, he calls us to follow him as his disciples. We can be attuned to the voice of Jesus in the Scriptures using the simple steps of the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2: 

• In proclaiming Jesus Christ, we confess God as Trinity. Jesus reveals God as Father, and Jesus reveals himself as one with the Father. His relationship with the Father is utterly unique; they are one in being for all eternity. Yet, the Son becomes human to draw us into his intimate communion with the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit. Empowered by the Spirit, the Church invites all people to relationship with the Father through Jesus and provides the means by which to experience the graces of this relationship. 

May 15, 2022
Fifth Sunday of Easter

John 13:31-33a, 34-35

• Jesus does not command his disciples to love in a generic or abstract way, but to love as he loves them. He loves them to the point of giving his life on their behalf on the cross. Animated by his love for them and empowered by his Spirit, they can love in this radical self-sacrificing way. We can love in a concrete and uniquely Christian way following the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2:

• Jesus declares that his disciples will be known by their love for each other. In a society characterized by individualism, the Church can attract many to an experience of authentic Christian community. Likewise, in a society marred by discord and division, the Church offers an alternative way to live to the degree she embodies charity and unity. However, when the Church only mirrors the ills of society, she does not reflect the face of Christ and will not draw people to him. If we desire the conversion of the world, then we commit to a deeper love for our fellow believers, which overflows in the world. 

May 22, 2022
Sixth Sunday of Easter

John 14:23-29

• As the Father sends the Son, the Father sends the Spirit in the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit guides us to a deeper understanding of the mystery of Christ. A disciple desires to know Jesus more and more. We can grow in our knowledge and love of him through meditation on his life and teachings in the four Gospels. We hear how he thinks and feels, speaks and acts, and by his Spirit, we take on his character. With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the simple steps of the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2 can help us encounter Christ in the Scriptures: 

• On occasion, the world experiences peace as the absence of conflict. Jesus, in contrast, offers us peace within the depths of our soul that lasts in the face of any circumstance. On the cross, Jesus won the decisive battle, defeating the power of sin and death. The outcome of the war is certain: Jesus will restore all things in himself, and we will rule with him in a new creation of everlasting peace. In the meantime, we can know the peace of Christ flowing from the confidence that he has set us right with the Father, and therefore, all will be well in the end. 

May 29, 2022
Ascension of the Lord

Luke 24:46-53

• Prior to his ascension, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit upon his disciples in Jerusalem, and from there, they will proclaim and witness to him in all nations. The risen Jesus who sits at the right hand of the Father remains with us by his Spirit. The same Spirit empowers us from on high to proclaim and witness to Jesus among all peoples. 
• As Jesus ascends to the Father, he blesses his disciples, and they worship him with rejoicing. Disciples participate fully in the sacred liturgy, the public worship of the Church. In the celebration of the sacraments, Jesus blesses us with his grace, and we worship him with joy and gratitude in our hearts for his gifts to us. Then from the liturgy, we go forth with greater joy to attract people to Jesus and his Church so they, too, can know this joy. 

April 3, 2022
Fifth Sunday of Lent

John 8:1-11

The scribes and Pharisees claim moral superiority over the woman caught in adultery, but Jesus exposes their hypocrisy: though their sins differ, both the woman and her accusers stand guilty before God.  Christians that fail to acknowledge their own faults while quickly condemning those of others undermine the mission of the Church to attract many to Christ.  Aware of their own sinfulness, disciples do not stand in judgment over their fellow sinners.  They strive by the grace of God to avoid sin, and when they fall, they rely on the mercy of Jesus to raise them up again.

Jesus does not dismiss or tolerate sin; he forgives sin.  Jesus frees the woman caught in adultery from her guilt and shame and insists that she sin no more.  By his death and resurrection, Jesus frees us from the power of sin: we no longer have to choose sin.  Yet when we sin, Jesus summons us to repent and seek his mercy.  To repent from sin means to feel sorrow for our sin and to resolve to avoid sin. 

April 10, 2022
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Luke 22:13-23:56

The drama of the Christian life is the daily decision to align our will to the will of God.  While initially crying to his Father to spare him the suffering to come, Jesus embraces the will of his Father even to death.  The prayer of Jesus in the garden teaches us that the aim of prayer is not to conform God to our will, but to conform ours to his.  Through prayer, God strengthens us to accept and to do his will.  We can come to know the will of God for our life by listening to the Word of God in a spirit of prayer.  We can use the simple steps of the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2: 

Pray a simple prayer to the Holy Spirit: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
Read the passage slowly.  As you listen, ask in silence, “Lord, what are you saying to me in this passage?”        
Listen for a word or phrase that calls your attention or touches your heart.
Share a brief story or experience of how the word or phrase connects to your life at this moment.
Ask in silence, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”  Share what Jesus is inviting you to do.

Jesus was betrayed by one close friend and denied by another.  He was abandoned by most of his companions and rejected by the crowds that lauded him days earlier.  He was tortured and executed in the most dehumanizing manner.  Jesus knows suffering well, and therefore, is with us when we experience betrayal, denial, abandonment, rejection, or humiliation.  Above all, because of his death and resurrection there no pain or suffering that cannot be consoled, healed, and transformed by him.  Through prayer, we can not only be close to others in their hurt we can bring them the consolation, healing, and transformation of Jesus.  When someone expresses his suffering to us, we can use the simple pattern of the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Prayer 2x2 to pray with him: 

Call on God.
(Heavenly Father... Lord Jesus... Holy Spirit... Good and gracious God...)

Praise or thank God for what He has done.
(We praise you for... We thank you for...)

Ask God for what you or someone else needs.
(Bless... Help... Guide... Heal...)

Conclude in Christ. Amen.
(We ask this in the name of Jesus... We ask this through Christ our Lord...)

April 17, 2022
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

John 20:1-9

The announcement of good news means that something good and new happened that has changed things for the better.  The Church proclaims the good news that Jesus is risen!  The whole of creation dwells in the shadow of death because of sin.  With the resurrection, God launches the restoration of creation in Christ.  When we choose to live in Christ, God promises us that resurrection will be ours, too, on the last day.  In the meantime, we can experience life in abundance, overflowing to transform the world in anticipation of the new creation to come.     

Resurrection is not a mere spiritual reality.  Jesus did not simply die and go to heaven; his tomb was empty.  The body of Jesus was raised.  Whereas resuscitation is the raising of the body to life as normal, only to return to the grave, resurrection is the raising of the body to life in a radically new way never to die again.  We cannot settle for the resuscitation of the life of the Church following a time of crisis.  The risen Jesus is calling us to rise to newness of life by the power of his resurrection.  As the Church rises, she will raise up the world with herself.

April 24, 2022
Second Sunday of Easter

John 20:19-31

As the Father sends the Son on mission, so Jesus sends us to prolong his mission in the world.  Jesus comes to offer us the fullness of life.  Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus offers us the assistance necessary to advance his mission.  Only by the power of the Spirit do the disciples move from fear in the upper room to confidence on the streets, proclaiming that Jesus is risen.  The same Spirit can inspire us to move beyond our fears and announce with joy that, “We have seen the Lord!”  

The first disciples were uniquely blessed to see and touch Jesus in his glorified body.  We are blessed because even though we do not see or touch him in the same way, we believe that Jesus is the risen Lord.  At the same time, with the eyes of faith, we can see his activity in our life.  Likewise, through participation in the sacraments with hearts of faith, Jesus touches us: he still breathes his Spirit on us and forgives our sins.  In addition, with hands of faith, we can touch others with his love using the Jubilee Missionary Practice of Acts of Charity 2x2:    

Eyes
See situations with the eyes of Jesus
Heart
Love Jesus in the person in need.
Hands
Give Jesus your hands to do His work.
Lips
Share how you encountered Jesus in this act.

March 6, 2022
First Sunday of Lent
Luke 4:1-13

• The Spirit that descends upon Jesus at his baptism also leads him into the desert to fast and pray for forty days, after which time the Spirit fills Jesus as he launches his ministry in Galilee. During Lent, the Holy Spirit guides us to fast and pray. Only a disciples grounded in communion with Jesus through prayer can bear fruit in mission. We can pray with someone else in the Spirit using the simple pattern of the Jubilee missionary practice of Prayer 2x2: 

• Satan tempts Jesus by quoting passages of the scriptures, and Jesus replies each time with words from the scriptures. The word of God interpreted according to the mind of Christ and his Church can be our defense against the temptations of the Evil One. One practical way to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the scriptures through is through the Jubilee missionary practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2. We can use a few simple steps with someone else: 

March 13, 2022
Second Sunday of Lent
Luke 9:28b-36

• The transfigured Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah of his exodus. Jesus interprets redemption by his dying and rising in Jerusalem according to the pattern of the redemption of Israel in Egypt. As God once liberated the Israelites from slavery, Jesus comes to pass over from death to resurrection, freeing us to pass over from a life of sin to a life of grace and transformation. The new Exodus in Christ is the core of the Gospel message of liberation. 
• The voice of the Father commands us to listen to his chosen Son. The term disciple literally means student. To be a disciple of Jesus is to listen to the Master - to cling to his every word. Only once we hear and absorb his word can we fruitfully proclaim the word with confidence. We can listen prayerfully to Jesus in the scriptures through the Jubilee missionary practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2. We can use a few simple steps with someone else: 

March 20, 2022
Third Sunday of Lent
Luke 13:1-9

• When the crowd asks Jesus why two tragedies occurred, he answers that even though the cause of the Temple massacre and the collapse of the tower was not the sin of the victims, these events are a summons to conversion. Since we, too, could fall victim to a disaster on a day we know not, Jesus calls us to repent of our sins and seek his mercy. Lent is a special season during which we turn from former ways and step into the new life Jesus offers us. 
• The parable of the gardener who declines to cut down the barren fig tree at his master's instruction teaches us that God is patient with us. Jesus desires that we experience new life in him and bear good fruit for the life of the world. He is the gardener who provides people to cultivate faith within us. He likewise sends us to be the gardeners who nurtures faith in others. We can bear good fruit through small gestures using the Jubilee missionary practice of Acts of Charity 2x2: 

March 27, 2022
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

• The younger son plans to ask his father to treat him as he would treat one of his workers, while the older son reminds his father of the years of work for him. Yet, the father does not love his sons because of any work they have done or will do for him. He loves them simply because they are his sons. While we sometimes strive to earn God's approval, the beating heart of the Gospel is the truth that the Father loved us first. We can only but respond to his love in love. 
• The parable of the father and his two lost sons teaches us that no matter where we are in life or how far we wander from God, the Father always seeks his children. Whether we are absorbed in the pleasures of the world like the younger son or bitter and angry like the older son, God never tires of pardoning our offenses and restoring us within in his family. Lent is a time to return home to the Father who longs to embrace and kiss us and show us to the feast. 

February 6, 2022
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 5:1-11

• Simon and his companions leave everything to follow Jesus. In each encounter with Jesus, he likewise invites us to follow him. Discipleship begins with the deliberate decision to drop everything to walk with Jesus, and the renewal of our discipleship requires the daily choice to leave behind whatever keeps us from walking more closely in his footsteps. 
• Jesus promises Simon, the fisherman, that he will be a fisher of men - this is an image for evangelization. To evangelize means to cast the net of the Gospel to draw people to Jesus. As we fish for people, we sometimes cling to the shoreline, confining our efforts to those who already believe in Christ. However, Jesus commands us to put out into the deep to seek those who have never heard the Gospel and accompany them to faith in him. Along the way, we can pray for people using the simple pattern of the Jubilee missionary practice of Prayer 2x2: 

February 13, 2022
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 6:17,20-26

• In the Beatitudes, Jesus lifts up the poor, the hungry, the mourning, and the despised on his account; they are blessed in the kingdom. He likewise casts down the rich, the satisfied, the laughing, and the well-regarded. Jesus comes to turn this upside-down world right-side up again. He challenges us not to seek contentment in the passing things of this world right-side up again. He challenges us not to seek contentment in the passing things of this world but to seek the kingdom. Disciples of Jesus choose to realign their values with the kingdom, and so experience blessing in this world and in the world to come. 
• We speak of the things we love with great ease: sports, entertainment, food, hobbies, and so on. Yet, we sometimes refrain from speaking of the One we love, perhaps because we fear criticism or even ridicule for being a Christian. Jesus promises that he will reward those who are hated, excluded, and insulted because of him. Courageous missionary disciples stand firm in Christ even as the world stands against them. 

February 20, 2022
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 6:27-38

• In our polarized society, we can be tempted to see anyone with whom we disagree as an enemy. With his clear command to love our enemies, however, Jesus does not permit such an attitude. The only enemy is the Evil One who seeks to divide us. The early Christians astonished their contemporaries by their radical love for each other as well as for those outside the Christian community. In the same way, Jesus calls us to show the world an alternative way to live through our love of all. 
• A summary of the teaching of Jesus on how we ought to live is his command to be merciful as the Father is merciful. God is a good Father who cares for all his children, providing for their needs and forgiving their sins. The Father shows his mercy, above all, by sending his Son. Jesus is moved with compassion for the suffering: he heals the sick, casts out demons, pardons sinners, restores dignity to the outcast, and raises the dead. The mission of the Church is to give the mercy given. We can engage the corporal and spiritual works of mercy through the Jubilee missionary practice of Acts of Charity 2x2: 

February 27, 2022
Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 6:39-45

• A disciple never graduates to become the master, but instead remains a lifelong learner of Jesus. At the same time, Jesus promises that when fully trained, every disciple will become like his master. The goal of discipleship is growth in the likeness of Christ. To be a mature Christian is to be mistaken for Christ himself. One practical way we can learn how to imitate Jesus is through the Jubilee missionary practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2. We can use a few simple steps with someone else: 

• We sometimes say one thing and do quite another, claiming to love God while hating our brothers and sisters, or professing the mercy of God while judging our neighbor harshly. Hypocrisy among Christians is a counter-witness to the Gospel. Many young people, in fact, cite hypocrisy as a reason for disaffiliating from religion. Jesus warns us against judging others while failing to notice our own faults. Rather, he calls us to acknowledge and repent of our sins, so we can experience his mercy. Only then can we accompany our fellow sinners with tender mercy. 

January 8, 2022
The Baptism of the Lord
Luke 3:15-16, 22-22

• Through baptism, we gain a new identity. As the voice of the Father affirms Jesus as his beloved son at his baptism, so in our baptism, the Father adopts us as his beloved sons and daughters in Christ. With confidence in God's love for us, we share his love with others and invite them to enter the family of God. 
• The Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization. We are anointed by the Spirit for mission. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary; the same Spirit descends upon him anew at this baptism, impelling him to begin his ministry of evangelization. In a similar way, we are reborn in the Spirit in baptism, and then in conformation a fresh outpouring of the Spirit empowers us to evangelize. We proclaim the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit moves hearts to turn to Jesus. 

January 15, 2022
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
John 2:1-11

• Mary instructs the servers at the wedding feast, "Do whatever he tells you." This remains her advice for us. A missionary disciple seeks to do whatever Jesus says. Jesus tells us to love him and to love our neighbor: doing so is the essense of being his disciple. Jesus also tells us to go and proclaim the Gospel; doing so is the essense of being his missionary. A missionary disciple, in other words, lives both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. 
• When Mary asks Jesus to intervene as the wine runs low at the wedding feast, he replies that his hour has not yet come - the moment has not yet arrived to launch his minisgry that will culminate on the cross. Nevertheless, when Mary tells the servers to follow the instructions of Jesus, he changes water into wine. Jesus performs this first of his signs at the request of his mother. Jesus loves his mother and listens to her. She always intercedes with her Son on our behalf. We, too, can be intercessors through the Jubilee missionary practice of Prayer 2x2 using a simple pattern with anyone who asks us for prayer: 

January 23, 2022
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

• Jesus comes to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, and the words of the prophet Isaiah function as a mission statement of sorts for Jesus: he comes to announce good news to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed. This is the program of the kingdom of God, and this is precisely what Jesus' ministry accomplishes. Everywhere he goes, the kingdom comes to life. By our anointing in the Spirit of Jesus, we can bring his kingdom to birth in this world by practicing the Jubilee missionary practice of Acts of Charity 2x2: 

• Using the words of Isaiah, Jesus proclaims a year acceptable to the Lord. This year of the Lord's favor refers to a jubilee, which according to the book of Leviticus, is to occur every fiftieth year as special season of God's grace and mercy - a time of release from debts and labor. In a similar way, the Church declares jubilee years, or holy years, to commemorate occasions of great significance in the history of salvation. As the Church in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles commemorates 250 years of Catholic faith during the "Forward in mission" Jubilee Year, we hear and proclaim anew the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who never tires of showing us his mercy and summons us to newness of life now and forever. 

January 31, 2022
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 4:21-30

• The words of the prophet Isaiah offer a vision of the kingdom of God where the poor hear good news, the blind see, and prisioners and the oppressed go free. Jesus claims to fulfill these words. The kingdom of God comes precisely in and through the presence and ministry of Jesus - there can be no kingdom apart from the King. Therefore, our kingdom building cannot bear fruit apart from a relationship with Jesus. We labor through him, and with him, and in him. We proclaim the King and extend his kingdom. 
• The crowd at the Nazareth synagogue no sooner praises Jesus as he proclaims the uplifting words of Isaiah than attempts to kill him when he cites a passage from the Scriptures in which God shows mercy to a Gentile. The words of Jesus sometimes comfort and sometimes challenge. A disciple seeks to embrace every word of Jesus, including those that challenge his or her usual way of seeing things. If we have never been challenged by Jesus, perhaps we have never heard him fully. One practical way we can listen to the words of Jesus - all of them - is through the Jubilee missionary practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2. We can use a few simple steps with someone else: 

December 5, 2021
Second Sunday of Advent
Luke 3:1-6

• The word of God comes to John the Baptist at a particular time and place, and he becomes a voice for the word received. A clear proclamation of the Gospel starts with a fresh hearing of the word of God from which faith in Jesus Christ is born. With this faith, we proclaim the word we received to stir up faith in the minds and hearts of others. The Jubilee missionary practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2 is a practical way by which the word of God can come to us in any circumstance of life. As we express how the story of Jesus intersects with the story of our life, we can grow in confidence Gospel proclamation. We can use a few simple steps:

• John the Baptist prepares Israel for the coming of Christ. As tilling the soil precedes plating the seed, we can only fruitfully proclaim the Gospel if the hearer is prepared to receive it. No one will believe what we say of Jesus if they do not first trust us. We build trust with others in authentic relationship with them. In the context of relationship, we may remove intellectual obstacles to belief in God by answering questions, and sometimes, heal wounds by listening and praying. This pre-evangelization clears the way for the Christ to be received with an open mind and heart. 

December 12, 2021
Third Sunday of Advent
Luke 3:10-18

• John the Baptist preaches the good news of the immanent fulfillment of the promises of God, and Jesus preaches the Good News of the arrival of the kingdom of God in his person and mission. The Church, in turn, preaches the Good News of the kingdom and the King himself. While this is no small order, Jesus has empowered and equipped us for the task through our baptism, by which the Holy Spirit is poured into our hearts. The principal agent of evangelization is the Holy Spirit, who first sets our hearts on fire for Jesus, then gives us the words to speak of Jesus, and so moves other hearts to turn to Jesus. 
• The concern of the prophets was the relationship of the people with God, as well as the social, economic, and political implications of this relationship. The voice of John the Baptist echoes the prophetic tradition of Israel in summoning the people to act with justice. When we see situations of injustice, we can live our baptismal identity as prophets anointed by the Spirit by practicing the Jubilee missionary practice of Acts of Charity 2x2:

December 19, 2021
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Luke 1:39-45

• The Virgin Mary is the first missionary of the Gospel of Jesus, her Son. She is the first to hear the Good News through the message of the angel Gabriel, and she wastes no time in going to share it with her relatives. When we love someone or something, we tell others: we recommend the movie or book, the restaurant or recipe, and we introduce the one we love to others. If we know the love of Jesus, how can we withhold his love from others? How can we wait to introduce someone else to him? Mary inspires us to urgency in mission.
• In the Hail Mary prayer, we echo the first part of the greeting of Elizabeth to Mary: "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Perhaps less familiar is the follow-up: "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." Mary is blessed because she is both the mother of Jesus and the first disciple of her Son. A disciple believes the Gospel and decides to live the consequences of his or her trust in Jesus and belief in his words. 

December 26, 2021
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Luke 2:41-52

• At the age of twelve, Jesus has a sense of his unique relationship with God, calling him "my Father." The firm foundation of the life and mission of Jesus is his oneness with his Father, his Abba. Jesus invites us to oneness with his Father and ours through him; we become members of the family of God, sons and daughters of the Father in the Son. We can grow in intimacy with God our Father through prayer, either in silence on our own or aloud with someone else. We can practice the Jubilee missionary practice of Prayer 2x2 using a simple pattern with a family member: 

• Jesus is obedient to his parents in their Nazareth home, and above all, to his Father. He listens to his Father and seeks to do his will, embracing even the cross. A disciple likewise obeys Jesus, though this obedience is not simply compliance with his commands. Obedience springs from a love for Jesus and a desire to please him. We listen to his words and do his will, knowing that he desires our flourishing.

November 7, 2021
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 12:38-44

• As the widow contributes all she has to the temple treasury, a disciple holds nothing back in offering himself or herself to Jesus. While we sometimes compartmentalize the various area of life - family, work, and church life - relationship with Jesus naturally overflows into every part of life. Simply put, a disciple gives his or her entire life to Jesus. The implications of this decision touch every other decision. 
• The essence of faith is trust in God. To believe in God is to put our life in his hands. The contribution of the widow demonstrates her profound trust in God; she gives everything she has, forgoing her financial security in the confidence that God will provide. God is a good Father who cares for all his children and has a special concern for the poor and vulnerable. Jesus invites us to trust in the providence of his Father and ours. 
• Jesus sees the motives of the heart. He observes many rich people offering contributions to the temple treasury from their surplus as an expression of religious piety, and he sees the widow offer her very livelihood as an expression of deep trust in God. Discipleship is not mere religiosity. The external practices of the Christian life should spring from an internal relationship with Christ; they outwardly express the inner reality of our faith in and love for God. 

November 14, 2021
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 13:24-32

• Jesus promises that through heaven and earth pass away, his words last forever. Disciples build their lives on the teachings and promises of Jesus. The way to learn them is by reading and reflecting on the four Gospels. One practical way we can listen to the words of Jesus is by putting into practice the Jubilee missionary practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2. We can use a few simple steps with someone else: 

• Jesus teaches that upon his return in glory at the end of time, he will gather to himself all who remain faithful to him even in times of distress. Perseverance in faith under pressure is a mark of our allegiance to Jesus Christ. As Jesus will send his angels to gather the elect on the last day, he sends us as messengers of the Gospel to the farthest corners of the earth to gather all people into the family of God. Perseverance in this mission is likewise a sign of our commitment to Christ. 

November 21, 2021
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
John 18:33b-37

• Jesus comes announcing the nearness of the kingdom of the God. Yet, there can be no kingdom without a king. The kingdom of God comes precisely in and through the presence and ministry of Jesus. The Apostles, therefore, boldly announce that Jesus is Lord and Messiah -God and King. The task of evangelization is to proclaim both the kingdom as Jesus did and the King as the Apostles did. 
• The kingdom of Jesus, while not of this world, is for this world. Jesus comes to establish his kingdom on earth as in heaven. The kingdom is a new world in which the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead rise and the poor hear good news. The mission of the Church prolongs the mission of Jesus in service of the kingdom. We can join someone and use our eyes, heart, hands and lips to serve in this way: 

• Jesus declares to Pontius Pilate that he has come to testify to the truth. In the same way, a missionary disciple testifies to the truth, recognizing that the truth is not principally a series of right ideas but the very person of Jesus. Our mission is to testify to the truth of who Jesus is as well as to the many truths he teaches. 

November 28, 2021
First Sunday of Advent
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

• A disciple reads the signs of the times in light of the Gospel, finding deeper meaning in the unfolding of history and detecting the hand of God in events. We can grow in perceiving how God is actively involved in the world today by reflecting on how God has acted and spoken in times past. As we read the Scriptures, the Word of God reshapes the way we see the world. One practical way we can engage with the Word is by putting into practice the Jubilee missionary practice of Gospelm Reflection 2x2. We can use a few simple steps with someone else:

• Jesus promises that redemption is at hand. Disciples recognize that God is not indifferent to or absent from the trails of life. Jesus, our Redeemer is always close, which means that we can stand firm in hope even as crises befall us. Jesus instructs us to be vigilant and to pray. One practical way we can keep alert in prayer is by putting into practice the Jubilee missionary practice of Prayer 2x2. We can use a simple pattern with someone: 

October 3, 2021
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 10:2-16

• When Jesus is questioned on the permissibility of divorce, his immediate response is to turn to the Scriptures. Christianity is not a "religion of the book" but the religion of the Word of God, the person of Jesus Christ. Yet, by a book - a library of books - we come to know him, his teachings, and his promises. When we are questioned on matters of faith and life, our words will echo Jesus to the degree we know the Scriptures. 
• Jesus cites the original plan of creation according to Genesis. Human beings are created for relationship with each other and with God. The lifelong union of man and woman in marriage is the most intimate of human relationships and a sign of the union between Jesus the Bridegroom the Church, his Bride. The aim of evangelization is to put people in contact with Jesus and help them to grow in intimate relationship with him. 

October 10, 2021
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 10:17-30

• Christian faith, above all, is adherence to the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus affirms the ethnical demands of the law and then summons the rich man to sell his possessions and follow him. To be a disciple of Jesus means to give our life unconditionally to him. This decision requires us to let go of whatever keeps us from following Jesus readily: possessions, ideologies, addictions, sinful attitudes or behaviors. 
• As Jesus gazes on the rich man and loves him, he looks upon us with love. Sometimes, the hardest truth to accept in life is that we are loved, yet this is the persistent Gospel message. Jesus loves us personally. Where we can only love imperfectly, he loves us perfectly even with our imperfections. Our mission is to raise eyes to see the loving gaze of Jesus that transforms hearts. 
• Our mission is to draw all people to Jesus so they can experience the eternal life he offers. While eternal life culminates in the life to come, the experience of fullness of life in Christ starts here and now. When we choose to follow Jesus as his disciples, we do not walk in isolation. We gain a new family. Within the Church - the family of God - we gain new brothers and sisters with whom we walk, from whom we learn, and on whom we lean. 

October 17, 2021
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 10:35-45

• Where we generally see greatness as an elevation in status, Jesus insists that greatness in the kingdom of God means self-emptying service. One practical way we can engage in service is by putting into practice the Jubilee missionary practice of Acts of Charity 2x2. Christian service is not generic kindness. An act of Christian charity has the intention of helping others to encounter the love of God and to draw near to him. We can join someone and use our eyes, heart, hands, and lips to serve in this way: 

• Jesus sums up his mission by stating that he came not to be served but to serve. The ministry of Jesus embodies service to the sick and the sinner, the poor and the oppressed. This service culminates in Jesus giving his life on the cross on our behalf. Jesus lives and dies for us. His mission is now ours. The proclamation of the self-sacrificial love of Jesus and self-emptying service in imitation of him go hand in hand. 

October 24, 2021
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 10:46-52

• Jesus calls Bartimaeus and he springs up, throwing his cloak aside. This action symbolizes the decision to cast aside his former life and step into a new life by the power of Jesus. Discipleship starts with our decision to leave our ways behind and walk the way of Jesus. Discipleship starts with our decision to leave our ways behind and walk the way of Jesus. As we walk with him in faith, we come to see life anew and experience healing of body and soul. 
• When Jesus encounters blind Bartimaeus, he does not ask him, "What have you done for me?" but rather, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus wants to give us the fullness of life. He wants to give us what we need, whether healing, forgiveness, or guidance. We need only ask him in prayer. One practical way we can pray by putting into practice the Jubilee missionary practice of Prayer 2x2. We can help others grow closer to Jesus by praying with them when they ask us for prayer. We can use a simple pattern: 

October 31, 2021
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 12:28b-34

• Jesus calls us to missionary discipleship. A missionary discipleship lives both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. To live the former is to be a disciple, loving God and neighbor. To live the latter is to be a missionary, helping others to love God and neighbor. 
• Jesus knows and loves the Scriptures of his people, Israel, and he is their great interpreter. With the Great Commandment, Jesus fuses the command from Deuteronomy to love God above all else with the command from Leviticus to love our neighbor. Jesus summons us to a deeper knowledge of and love for the word of God; he invites us to open the Scriptures to hear his words and put them into practice. One practical way we can listen to Jesus in the word is by putting into practice the Jubilee missionary practice of Gospel Reflection 2x2. We can help grow closer to Jesus by reading and reflecting on the Gospels with someone else. We can use a few simple steps: 

September 12, 2021
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 8:27-35

• Jesus asks many questions in the four Gospels, and today, he asks perhaps his most important question of his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”  Knowing who Jesus is presents us with the most important decision in life: to put our trust in him and to believe in his teachings and promises—or not.  This decision determines everything else in life, including our destiny.  

• The Church exists to evangelize.  The essence of our mission to evangelize is the proclamation of who Jesus is: his person, name, life, teachings, promises, kingdom, and above all, his death and resurrection.  The aim of this proclamation is conversion, which is a profound change of mind and heart because of an encounter with Jesus.  Evangelization, in short, means putting people in contact with him.

• A person who knows Jesus can confess with Peter that he is the Christ.  He is the long-promised Messiah who came to suffer, die, and rise for us.  He likewise summons us to die to our sin, to rise with him to newness of life, and to offer our lives in service of the Gospel.

September 19, 2021
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 9:30-37

•  As they journey to Jerusalem, the disciples do not understand the words of Jesus and are afraid to question him.  Many people today have big questions on faith and life, on God and Church.  Our mission to evangelize starts not with speaking, but with listening.  Only by listening to the concerns and aspirations of another can we speak the good news of Jesus to restore hope.  Jesus encourages us not to be afraid to ask questions or to be asked questions.  Sometimes, only in asking questions and receiving clear and compelling answers can intellectual obstacles to conversion and faith in God be overcome.
    
• The disciples argue over who is the greatest among them—a discussion with an inward focus.  Mission, in contrast, is always outward in orientation.  Jesus challenges his Church to move from a preoccupation principally with her inner life to a focus on mission in and to the world.  The Church exists not only for the insiders, but above all, for the outsiders who do not yet belong.

• Power and prestige remain temptations among Christians.  Jesus warns us not to seek the honor of our own name, but to invite others to new life in his.  Likewise, he shows us by his life and death that true greatness is embodied in service, especially to those, who like a child, are vulnerable or even powerless.

September 26, 2021
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

• As John complains on behalf of the disciples that someone not belonging to their company is driving out demons in the name of Jesus, he implies that they retain exclusive claim on him.  Rivalries between Christians hinder mission.  Without ignoring differences, the Church summons us to pray for unity among Christians, as well as to cooperate in mission with fellow believers.  Christians will only evangelize the world to the degree we acknowledge and live from our unity in Christ.     

• Jesus affirms the simple gesture of offering a cup of water to drink.  Every deed for Christ advances the Kingdom of God—nothing is too small.  Likewise, a few simple words spoken with love can be enough to touch a heart or change a mind.  God will magnify whatever we offer him in love. 

• With strong words, Jesus warns his disciples not to tempt others to sin.  In a similar way, we can cause others to turn away from faith.  Many people, the young in particular, cite the hypocrisy of Christians as a reason to reject Christian faith.  Causing scandal by the incompatibility of our beliefs with the manner of our life is a great obstacle to evangelizing the world.  Jesus calls us to be authentic witnesses, attracting others to him and his Church.